We successfully learn and continue to read successfully by incorporating six cueing systems (Rumelhart, 1976).
The six cueing systems are the keys to literacy, enabling success on our lifelong literacy journey. In order to maintain ongoing comprehension, ALL cueing systems must be activated. All six are used simultaneously in order to successfully speak, listen, read, and write. It is essential that when we read with our students or children, all six cueing systems are encouraged.
Surface Structures (Emphasized during primary grades)
1.) Graphophonic
Knowing about Print
The relationship between letters (visuals) and their sounds (phonics). Sounding it Out and Chunking. Letters, combinations of letters, and the sounds associated with them.
2.) Lexical
Relating to words, including automatic recognition, but not necessarily associating meaning with words.
3.) Syntactic
Knowing about Language
Using grammar and sentence structure sense. When we read and write, we need to ask, "Does this sound like real language, does this sound correct?"
*Though the deeper cueing systems are encouraged for middle and secondary level, they should also be introduced and used in primary grades.
Deep Structures(Should be emphasized and explicitly taught during the primary grades with continued emphasis during middle and secondary levels)
4.) Schematic
Relating the reader's prior knowledge and/or personal experiences and applying these to the text.
5.) Semantic
Knowing about Words and personal experiences with their World
Making Sense of the Text's Meaning. When we read and write, we need to ask, "Does this make sense?"
6.) Pragmatic
Knowing about the Purposes or Functions for reading.
"Successful readers know how to take advantage of all six cueing systems; struggling readers rely too hevily on one or two and miss a great deal of the text's richness. Readers who focus solely on surface structures decode words but don't remember what they've read" (Tovani, 2000, p. 19).
Activities
Activity 1: Strengthen Semantics and Syntax
By using a "cloze" approach, also commonly known as a 'fill in the blank approach," we encourage reading for both meaning and grammatical sense. Semantics and Syntax are encouraged, otherwise, students become overdependent on phonics. A good reader will use a balanced approach, successfully incorporating all four Language Cueing Systems. A great example of this activity is one I've chosen using poetry. Though this can be used with any genre, poetry is a great springboard, because children are provided a "hint" with which word fits best, based on rhyme.
Using the cloze approach, have your child try to rely on syntax and semantics (what sounds right and what makes sense), to fill in the missing word where the asterisk appears. Cloony the Clown (missing words)
I’ll tell you the story of Cloony the Clown
Who worked in a circus that came through *.
His shoes were too big and his hat was too small,
But he just wasn’t, just wasn’t funny at *.
He had a trombone to play loud silly tunes,
He had a green dog and a thousand balloons.
He was floppy and sloppy and skinny and *,
But he just wasn’t, just wasn’t funny at all.
And every time he did a trick,
Everyone felt a little sick.
And every time he told a joke,
Folks sighed as if their hearts were *.
And every time he lost a shoe,
Everyone looked awfully blue.
And every time he stood on his head,
Everyone screamed, “Go back to bed!”
And every time he made a leap,
Everybody fell *.
And every time he ate his tie,
Everyone began to cry.
And Cloony could not make any money
Simply because he was not *.
One day he said, “I’ll tell this town
How it feels to be an unfunny *.”
And he told them all why he looked so sad,
And he told them all why he felt so *.
He told of Pain and Rain and Cold,
He told of Darkness in his soul,
And after he finished his tale of woe,
Did everyone cry? Oh no, no, no,
They laughed until they shook the trees
With “Hah-Hah-Hahs” and “Hee-Hee-Hees.”
They laughed with howls and yowls and shrieks,
They laughed all day, they laughed all week,
They laughed until they had a fit,
They laughed until their jackets split.
The laughter spread for miles around
To every city, every *,
Over mountains, ‘cross the sea,
From Saint Tropez to Mun San Nee.
And soon the whole world rang with laughter,
Lasting till forever *,
While Cloony stood in the circus tent,
With his head drooped low and his shoulders *.
And he said,”THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT -
I’M FUNNY JUST BY ACCIDENT.”
And while the world laughed outside.
Cloony the Clown sat down and *.
Cloony the Clown (complete poem)
I’ll tell you the story of Cloony the Clown
Who worked in a circus that came through town.
His shoes were too big and his hat was too small,
But he just wasn’t, just wasn’t funny at all.
He had a trombone to play loud silly tunes,
He had a green dog and a thousand balloons.
He was floppy and sloppy and skinny and tall,
But he just wasn’t, just wasn’t funny at all.
And every time he did a trick,
Everyone felt a little sick.
And every time he told a joke,
Folks sighed as if their hearts were broke.
And every time he lost a shoe,
Everyone looked awfully blue.
And every time he stood on his head,
Everyone screamed, “Go back to bed!”
And every time he made a leap,
Everybody fell asleep.
And every time he ate his tie,
Everyone began to cry.
And Cloony could not make any money
Simply because he was not funny.
One day he said, “I’ll tell this town
How it feels to be an unfunny clown.”
And he told them all why he looked so sad,
And he told them all why he felt so bad.
He told of Pain and Rain and Cold,
He told of Darkness in his soul,
And after he finished his tale of woe,
Did everyone cry? Oh no, no, no,
They laughed until they shook the trees
With “Hah-Hah-Hahs” and “Hee-Hee-Hees.”
They laughed with howls and yowls and shrieks,
They laughed all day, they laughed all week,
They laughed until they had a fit,
They laughed until their jackets split.
The laughter spread for miles around
To every city, every town,
Over mountains, ‘cross the sea,
From Saint Tropez to Mun San Nee.
And soon the whole world rang with laughter,
Lasting till forever after,
While Cloony stood in the circus tent,
With his head drooped low and his shoulders bent.
And he said,”THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT -
I’M FUNNY JUST BY ACCIDENT.”
And while the world laughed outside.
Cloony the Clown sat down and cried.
References
Rumelhart, D. 1976. Toward and Interactive Model of Reading. Technical Report No. 56. San Diego: University of California Center for Human Information Processing.
Silverstein, S. 2011. Every thing on it. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
Tovani, C. 2000. I read it, but I don't get it: Comprehension strategies for adolescent readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Language Cueing Systems
We successfully learn and continue to read successfully by incorporating six cueing systems (Rumelhart, 1976).
The six cueing systems are the keys to literacy, enabling success on our lifelong literacy journey. In order to maintain ongoing comprehension, ALL cueing systems must be activated. All six are used simultaneously in order to successfully speak, listen, read, and write. It is essential that when we read with our students or children, all six cueing systems are encouraged.
Surface Structures (Emphasized during primary grades)
1.) Graphophonic
Knowing about PrintThe relationship between letters (visuals) and their sounds (phonics). Sounding it Out and Chunking. Letters, combinations of letters, and the sounds associated with them.
2.) Lexical
Relating to words, including automatic recognition, but not necessarily associating meaning with words.3.) Syntactic
Knowing about LanguageUsing grammar and sentence structure sense. When we read and write, we need to ask, "Does this sound like real language, does this sound correct?"
*Though the deeper cueing systems are encouraged for middle and secondary level, they should also be introduced and used in primary grades.
Deep Structures (Should be emphasized and explicitly taught during the primary grades with continued emphasis during middle and secondary levels)
4.) Schematic
Relating the reader's prior knowledge and/or personal experiences and applying these to the text.5.) Semantic
Knowing about Words and personal experiences with their WorldMaking Sense of the Text's Meaning. When we read and write, we need to ask, "Does this make sense?"
6.) Pragmatic
Knowing about the Purposes or Functions for reading."Successful readers know how to take advantage of all six cueing systems; struggling readers rely too hevily on one or two and miss a great deal of the text's richness. Readers who focus solely on surface structures decode words but don't remember what they've read" (Tovani, 2000, p. 19).
Activities
- Activity 1: Strengthen Semantics and Syntax
By using a "cloze" approach, also commonly known as a 'fill in the blank approach," we encourage reading for both meaning and grammatical sense. Semantics and Syntax are encouraged, otherwise, students become overdependent on phonics. A good reader will use a balanced approach, successfully incorporating all four Language Cueing Systems. A great example of this activity is one I've chosen using poetry. Though this can be used with any genre, poetry is a great springboard, because children are provided a "hint" with which word fits best, based on rhyme.Using the cloze approach, have your child try to rely on syntax and semantics (what sounds right and what makes sense), to fill in the missing word where the asterisk appears.
Cloony the Clown (missing words)
I’ll tell you the story of Cloony the Clown
Who worked in a circus that came through *.
His shoes were too big and his hat was too small,
But he just wasn’t, just wasn’t funny at *.
He had a trombone to play loud silly tunes,
He had a green dog and a thousand balloons.
He was floppy and sloppy and skinny and *,
But he just wasn’t, just wasn’t funny at all.
And every time he did a trick,
Everyone felt a little sick.
And every time he told a joke,
Folks sighed as if their hearts were *.
And every time he lost a shoe,
Everyone looked awfully blue.
And every time he stood on his head,
Everyone screamed, “Go back to bed!”
And every time he made a leap,
Everybody fell *.
And every time he ate his tie,
Everyone began to cry.
And Cloony could not make any money
Simply because he was not *.
One day he said, “I’ll tell this town
How it feels to be an unfunny *.”
And he told them all why he looked so sad,
And he told them all why he felt so *.
He told of Pain and Rain and Cold,
He told of Darkness in his soul,
And after he finished his tale of woe,
Did everyone cry? Oh no, no, no,
They laughed until they shook the trees
With “Hah-Hah-Hahs” and “Hee-Hee-Hees.”
They laughed with howls and yowls and shrieks,
They laughed all day, they laughed all week,
They laughed until they had a fit,
They laughed until their jackets split.
The laughter spread for miles around
To every city, every *,
Over mountains, ‘cross the sea,
From Saint Tropez to Mun San Nee.
And soon the whole world rang with laughter,
Lasting till forever *,
While Cloony stood in the circus tent,
With his head drooped low and his shoulders *.
And he said,”THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT -
I’M FUNNY JUST BY ACCIDENT.”
And while the world laughed outside.
Cloony the Clown sat down and *.
Cloony the Clown (complete poem)
I’ll tell you the story of Cloony the Clown
Who worked in a circus that came through town.
His shoes were too big and his hat was too small,
But he just wasn’t, just wasn’t funny at all.
He had a trombone to play loud silly tunes,
He had a green dog and a thousand balloons.
He was floppy and sloppy and skinny and tall,
But he just wasn’t, just wasn’t funny at all.
And every time he did a trick,
Everyone felt a little sick.
And every time he told a joke,
Folks sighed as if their hearts were broke.
And every time he lost a shoe,
Everyone looked awfully blue.
And every time he stood on his head,
Everyone screamed, “Go back to bed!”
And every time he made a leap,
Everybody fell asleep.
And every time he ate his tie,
Everyone began to cry.
And Cloony could not make any money
Simply because he was not funny.
One day he said, “I’ll tell this town
How it feels to be an unfunny clown.”
And he told them all why he looked so sad,
And he told them all why he felt so bad.
He told of Pain and Rain and Cold,
He told of Darkness in his soul,
And after he finished his tale of woe,
Did everyone cry? Oh no, no, no,
They laughed until they shook the trees
With “Hah-Hah-Hahs” and “Hee-Hee-Hees.”
They laughed with howls and yowls and shrieks,
They laughed all day, they laughed all week,
They laughed until they had a fit,
They laughed until their jackets split.
The laughter spread for miles around
To every city, every town,
Over mountains, ‘cross the sea,
From Saint Tropez to Mun San Nee.
And soon the whole world rang with laughter,
Lasting till forever after,
While Cloony stood in the circus tent,
With his head drooped low and his shoulders bent.
And he said,”THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT -
I’M FUNNY JUST BY ACCIDENT.”
And while the world laughed outside.
Cloony the Clown sat down and cried.
References
Rumelhart, D. 1976. Toward and Interactive Model of Reading. Technical Report No. 56. San Diego: University of California Center for Human Information Processing.
Silverstein, S. 2011. Every thing on it. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
Tovani, C. 2000. I read it, but I don't get it: Comprehension strategies for adolescent readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Why do we Read?
Four functions for reading in daily life include:
1) Environmental-to survive in the world.
2) Recreational- for pleasure
3) Occupational- job related
4) Informational- to gain information
What to Read?
advertisements
book jackets
c.d. covers
recipes
directories
signs
daily schedules
menus
posters
t-shirts
graffiti
lists
bills
price tags
scrapbooks
theatre/sports
programs
stock repots
job-related articles
job-improvement articles
manuals
eye chart
computer
keyboards
autobiographies
prescriptions
checks
written reports
reports,
biographies,
nonfiction,
news stories
receipts,
invitations
Goodman, Y.M, Watson, D.J., & Burke, C.L. (1996). Reading strategies: Focus on comprehension. Katonah, New York:
Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc.